Kim's post provoked me to ask for advice, even though this is a topic I know has been discussed before: how do you deal with the work you did before you knew what you were doing? I have a good-sized tree on line, some of which I'm sure is accurate, and some not so much. I'll never live long enough to fix it even if that was all I ever did. But I have met many interesting potential relatives and research projects by having it on line. I have compromised by leaving it up but by leaving out the (usually very inadequate) citations, so that those who want to know more have to get in touch. But I've never been quite sure whether that is the best approach. Thoughts? Harold -- Harold Henderson midwestroots.net Research, Writing, and Brickwall Dismantling from Northwest Indiana Regularly Researching at the Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center Certified Genealogist (SM) No. 1029 Certified Genealogist and CG are proprietary service marks of the Board for Certification of Genealogists® used by the Board to identify its program of genealogical competency evaluation and used under license by the Board’s associates.

I've left it there, untouched. The pages are dated, so it's a "snapshot in time" as to where I was then, both in terms of my research (I didn't know to write research reports for myself and kept poor research logs) and my skills. More than a decade later, it is still probably better documented than most online trees for the families involved. I was taught very early to "cite my sources," so while it will win no EE-style awards, much of it can be replicated if someone chooses to do so. I do need to add a warning about accuracy, but beyond that I see no need to worry unless I spot an egregious error in identity or relationship. I'm more concerned with how I will preserve or publish going forward. Sad to say, I've struggled with this for a long time and have found no suitable solution for more than a few portions of my life's work. Connie --- On Sat, 11/24/12, Harold Henderson <librarytraveler@gmail.com> wrote: > Kim's post provoked me to ask for > advice, even though this is a topic I > know has been discussed before: how do you deal with the > work you did > before you knew what you were doing? > > I have a good-sized tree on line, some of which I'm sure is > accurate, and > some not so much. I'll never live long enough to fix it even > if that was > all I ever did. But I have met many interesting potential > relatives and > research projects by having it on line. > > I have compromised by leaving it up but by leaving out the > (usually very > inadequate) citations, so that those who want to know more > have to get in > touch. But I've never been quite sure whether that is the > best approach. > Thoughts? > > Harold >

Hi Harold Like you, I have learned so much over the years and we should all cringe at some of our earlier work. If only I could remember where I got every single piece of data back when I started so long ago. I also have trees online. I call them my Possibility Trees or What-If Trees. I use Ancestry to test out some theories because I can quickly pull up the census and other data. They are mostly private, but as you know, it's amazing what leaks from those trees to the public. When I get a request, I will gladly tell people where and how I got the information. I will provide any references and explain that the tree is experimental. There are many ways to look at life and approach it. Let's hope we never stop embracing different ideas and approaches. Trees can be just another tool to work with. Joan On Sat, Nov 24, 2012 at 8:28 AM, Harold Henderson <librarytraveler@gmail.com > wrote: > Kim's post provoked me to ask for advice, even though this is a topic I > know has been discussed before: how do you deal with the work you did > before you knew what you were doing? > > I have a good-sized tree on line, some of which I'm sure is accurate, and > some not so much. I'll never live long enough to fix it even if that was > all I ever did. But I have met many interesting potential relatives and > research projects by having it on line. > > I have compromised by leaving it up but by leaving out the (usually very > inadequate) citations, so that those who want to know more have to get in > touch. But I've never been quite sure whether that is the best approach. > Thoughts? > > Harold > > -- > Harold Henderson midwestroots.net > Research, Writing, and Brickwall Dismantling from Northwest Indiana > Regularly Researching at the Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center > > Certified Genealogist (SM) No. 1029 > Certified Genealogist and CG are proprietary service marks > of the Board for Certification of Genealogists® used by the > Board to identify its program of genealogical competency evaluation > and used under license by the Board’s associates. > The Transitional Genealogists List was created to provide a supportive > environment for genealogists to learn best practices as they transition to > professional level work. Please respect the kind intentions of this list. > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > TRANSITIONAL-GENEALOGISTS-FORUM-request@rootsweb.com with the word > 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > -- *Joan Peake* *Peake to the Past* 11 Mountain Vista Dr. Morgantown, WV 26508 Phone: 304.685.9433 email: look4kin@gmail.com “A lifetime’s study will not make accessible to us more than a fragment of our own ancestral past, let alone the aeons before our race was formed, but that fragment we must thoroughly possess and hand on.” Possession by A.S. Byatt

My learning steps were slow and mostly self-taught at the beginning. I got so tired of looking up the same information over and over again to determine why I included it that I decided to, in my own way, source it so I did not have to look it up again. Luckily for me my tree is not huge (under 1000). In 2008, I decided I wanted to go professional eventually so I started on a serious campaign to educate myself and improve my skills. As I studied, I noticed significant improvement in my knowledge and skills. I also started noticing my mistakes and set out to correct them. During the year 2009, I set out to re-source all my "facts" (as FTM calls them) following EE. In the late 1990s, using FTM I had put my tree on Genealogy.com. I was so enthusiastic and excited about it and wanted to share it with anyone who was researching my lines. I was in complete ignorance of the future repercussions of that act with its lack of privacy settings and terms of ownership. I blush in embarrassment today when I think of my earlier naiveté. Anyway, Ancestry acquired Genealogy.com and my tree. I no longer own it and cannot fix it. I do not have an Ancestry tree or any online tree today because of this experience. Eileen _______________________________ Eileen A Souza Eldersburg, MD Old Bones Genealogy LLC info@oldbonesgenealogy.com www.oldbonesgenealogy.com > -----Original Message----- > From: transitional-genealogists-forum-bounces@rootsweb.com > [mailto:transitional-genealogists-forum-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of > Harold Henderson > Sent: Saturday, November 24, 2012 8:28 AM > To: Transitional Genealogists > Subject: [TGF] Dealing with our substandard pasts > > Kim's post provoked me to ask for advice, even though this is a topic I know has > been discussed before: how do you deal with the work you did before you knew > what you were doing? > > I have a good-sized tree on line, some of which I'm sure is accurate, and some not > so much. I'll never live long enough to fix it even if that was all I ever did. But I > have met many interesting potential relatives and research projects by having it > on line. > > I have compromised by leaving it up but by leaving out the (usually very > inadequate) citations, so that those who want to know more have to get in touch. > But I've never been quite sure whether that is the best approach. > Thoughts? > > Harold > > -- > Harold Henderson midwestroots.net > Research, Writing, and Brickwall Dismantling from Northwest Indiana Regularly > Researching at the Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center > > Certified Genealogist (SM) No. 1029 > Certified Genealogist and CG are proprietary service marks of the Board for > Certification of Genealogists® used by the Board to identify its program of > genealogical competency evaluation and used under license by the Board’s > associates. > The Transitional Genealogists List was created to provide a supportive > environment for genealogists to learn best practices as they transition to > professional level work. Please respect the kind intentions of this list. > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to TRANSITIONAL- > GENEALOGISTS-FORUM-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' > without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Harold, My grandmother considered herself a genealogist and she was to an extent. As she found information on family members she would dutifully copy each document, family group sheet, newspaper clipping, and so on and send them on to other family members. NO citations whatsoever. When I received them I would stack them in a pile, respectful of the time grandmother spent, but never thinking I would ever be interested in pursuing this passion of family history. I was wrong. I love it. When I began my own family many years ago, I got the genealogy bug and have had it ever since. It has been 25 years and I am still redoing some early work following some of grandmother's footsteps I, for one, am grateful for on line family trees and to those who have placed them there. I, too, have contacted potential relatives, some recently even on this list, some on internet forums, and so forth. Two I found at ancestry.com because of their posted trees and we have been in constant contact since then and have met to collaborate our work cranking microfilm reels in Salt Lake. My early work is very inadequate to say the least. I now own a handful of books to aid my research and they are well-marked and flagged. More resource books are on my wish list. I, too, will probably never get through correcting earlier work. BUT I am trying, citing and writng as I go, using a combination of genealogical software programs and word documents. I attempt to work on one family at a time, but that usually doesn't work. Time consuming, thought provoking, AND educational. My friends know what I am up to and have asked for help with their histories. I have conducted a handful of informal small group workshops to this end. It is their questions, along with my own desire, to <do it the right way> that has led me to thinking about certifcation. I may eventually make an attempt, but I know I need more education before doing so. I do not consider myself a professional. I do consider myself a genealogist. It is more than a hobby, it has become a passion and one I want to share. I do stress citations, writing, and proof--not just collecting names and data. Again, Harold, I am grateful for all those on line family trees--with or without citations. They make me ask questions and potentially place me in contact with cousins I may have never known about otherwise. So leave the trees up--you never know who may contact you. Jannean James Daniel, Wyoming On Sat, Nov 24, 2012 at 6:28 AM, Harold Henderson <librarytraveler@gmail.com > wrote: > Kim's post provoked me to ask for advice, even though this is a topic I > know has been discussed before: how do you deal with the work you did > before you knew what you were doing? > > I have a good-sized tree on line, some of which I'm sure is accurate, and > some not so much. I'll never live long enough to fix it even if that was > all I ever did. But I have met many interesting potential relatives and > research projects by having it on line. > > I have compromised by leaving it up but by leaving out the (usually very > inadequate) citations, so that those who want to know more have to get in > touch. But I've never been quite sure whether that is the best approach. > Thoughts? > > Harold > > -- > Harold Henderson midwestroots.net > Research, Writing, and Brickwall Dismantling from Northwest Indiana > Regularly Researching at the Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center > > Certified Genealogist (SM) No. 1029 > Certified Genealogist and CG are proprietary service marks > of the Board for Certification of Genealogists® used by the > Board to identify its program of genealogical competency evaluation > and used under license by the Board’s associates. > The Transitional Genealogists List was created to provide a supportive > environment for genealogists to learn best practices as they transition to > professional level work. Please respect the kind intentions of this list. > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > TRANSITIONAL-GENEALOGISTS-FORUM-request@rootsweb.com with the word > 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >